Street sportsmen eager for their moment in the sun

SINGAPORE — After years of getting nasty comments from passers-by who think skateboarders are a “nuisance”  who will “never make it far in life”, to being chased away by security guards for skating at MRT stations, brothers Farris and Feroze Rahman may soon have the last laugh.

The two talented skateboarders could very well be representing Singapore at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo — giving them a shot at Olympic glory.

This comes after it was one of five sports included by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the 2020 Tokyo Games at the IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday (Aug 4).

The Singaporean siblings, who are among Asia’s top skateboarders, have now set their eyes on competing in Japan. 

“I am really excited about the prospect of skateboarding being included in the Olympics because, like every athlete out there, it is a dream come true to compete in the Games,” said Farris, 21, who took part in his first competition when he was six years old in the Junior X Games in Thailand. “I have been training for something like this my whole life. Now, my ultimate goal is to win an Olympic gold medal.

The brothers have enjoyed much success at various international competitions that pit the best skateboarders from Asia and around the world. Feroze, 25, won gold at the Asian X Games in 2011 in Shanghai — the equivalent of the multi-sport, quadrennial Asian Games — while Farris took second spot. 

At the Maloof Money Cup in 2012, Farris also turned heads by scooping a sixth-place finish in the “street” category. The brothers were the only Asian representatives in the prestigious invitation-only tournament, which is the equivalent of the World Cup in skateboarding.

The prospect of having the Olympic spotlight shining on a sport heavy on street culture will be a huge boost to the skateboarding community in Singapore, said the siblings.

They hope support will start “pouring in from sports and government bodies, and sponsors”, and wish that it may pave the way for a national skateboarding association to be set up here.

Support may indeed come soon for the skateboarding community in Singapore. Lenard Pattiselanno, who is the director of NSA (national sports association) partnerships at the Singapore Sports Institute, said yesterday: “We will meet the potential skateboarders to understand their needs and discuss with relevant stakeholders like the Singapore National Olympic Council on options to assist them going forward.” 

For now though, Farris said that people often associate skateboarding with teenage delinquents. “The sport is gaining popularity around the world, but not in Singapore yet, where there are a lot of negative stereotypes that go with skateboarding,” he said. 

“Perhaps it is the graffiti at the skate parks, or the way some skateboarders are not mindful of their surroundings when they skate outside of skate parks and get into people’s way. Or it could be there is a certain street style in their dressing that some people may not like, too.

“I think its inclusion could really change the face of the sport here. When people see it is in the Olympics and is a sport that is internationally-recognised and accepted, they may view it more positively.”

While Farris and Feroze have the support of their parents and corporate sponsors such as footwear makers Vans and beverage giants Red Bull, they said the journey to the top has not been easy. “Not everybody is lucky like us to have our parents’ blessings to pursue skateboarding seriously,” said Farris. 

“Before we had sponsors, our dad was our manager, supporter, medic and everything. If we got ourselves injured, he would come with a first aid kit and patch us up. 

“But, even then, our journey to being top skateboarders was a very tough and lonely route. It was very hard because everything we did, we just did it by ourselves. It is like that for all aspiring skateboarders in Singapore, too.” 

* WATCH THEM IN ACTION
Both Feroze and Farris will be holding skateboarding demos at Skate Singapore, which is part of Get Active! Singapore. Skateboarding tryouts will also be available those who are keen to pick up the sport.
The event will be held at Get Active! By the Bay, Marina Bay tomorrow (Aug 6) from 10am-7pm.
For more information, visit: https://www.myactivesg.com/whats-on/event/2016/8/active-enabler-skate-singapore